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I have an old hand carved Mexican Santos statue that is life…

I have an old hand carved wood Mexican Santos statue that is life size. Is there any reference material or internet sites that would help me identify it's age and value?

Expert's Assistant: I always love having an appraiser look at my stuff. Sometimes its turned out to be surprisingly valuable. Tell us what else you do know and the Antiques Appraiser will be able to better assist you.

I do have pictures of it. It is dirty but complete with no cracks or missing parts. It is a man in peasant clothing with sandals. He is standing on a circular wood pedestal that appears to be integral to the statue. He is wearing sandals, has a beard and his hands/arms are outstretched. The colors look like they're stained and it has a rich golden patina.

Expert's Assistant: Is there anything else important you think the Antiques Appraiser should know?

I don't really know much about these so I don't know what is significant information about it. Probably you all looking at the picture would raise additional questions. Mexican or Spanish santos is about it.

Thank you for the images. Please allow me some time to look these over for you.

~Nora

Hi There,

I have not found a match to this for you.

I will opt-out and open your question again to all the experts at no additional charge. If someone knows the answer they will post a response to you here. You do not need to re-list your question and this does not cost you extra. There is not a guarantee that you will receive a response.

Hi, my name is*****'m a certified appraiser, and I'd be happy to help. I need a few more things from you:

1) A clear, well-lit photo of the bottom of the base (this lets me see the wood composition)

2) A clear, well-lit photo of the back

3) Anything you know about the piece--when and where did you get it? Any history on it?

Jennifer

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Customer reply replied 1 year ago

These are all the pictures we have. We have another estate auction to go to tomorrow and I probably can't get back to you with pics before Tuesday. We acquired them from an estate in Eugene, Oregon. We have no history on when or where they came from. It's our understanding the people moved here from California 40-50 years ago. Will I be able to get back in to this question just by logging on?

Attached please find more/improved photos of this statue. We discovered a signature on the base (which is included in the pictures). It appears these were done by master wood carver Art McKellips....I believe I can see an '81 on one of the other statues which I suspect is the year they were done but that's a guess. This is approx. 6' in overall height.There are two incredibly odd things about this. I don't know who the statue is supposed to depict but the ear on the left side has this odd curl at the top that sits over the hair (see pic #6). Also - and I didn't notice this until I was reviewing the pics - if you look closely the pictures show the face of an animal carved into his right chest. Pictures 7 & 8 show it most clearly. The left side appears to be simply a garment but I'm going to look at it again tomorrow.We acquired this and 2 others by the same person from an estate. I have absolutely NO idea when they were done or if they were done on commission. Mr. McKellips did a lot of work for churches but there are no markings or tags on them to indicate that is the case. It is our understanding the owners of the estate were devout Seventh Day Adventists - is this person a depiction of one of their saints or ?I have done a little research on Mr. McKellips and know that he lived in Hillsboro, OR much of his later life (from about 1976).Our first thought was that these were (as I initially stated) Mexican Santos or missionaries. However, after finding the signature I realize they are 20th Century carvings done in the Santos style. The huge question is why the animal on the front and the ear deformity?And, of course, given the condition, their value.Thank you in advance for any and all information you can provide.Star

Thanks so much. I'm happy to research this for you. However, as you've said, it's quite a puzzle, so it may take me more time than usual--perhaps even a day or two if I have to reach out to colleagues. I'll keep you updated!

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Disclaimer: Information in questions, answers, and other posts on this site ("Posts") comes from individual users, not JustAnswer; JustAnswer is not responsible for Posts. Posts are for general information, are not intended to substitute for informed professional advice (medical, legal, veterinary, financial, etc.), or to establish a professional-client relationship. The site and services are provided "as is" with no warranty or representations by JustAnswer regarding the qualifications of Experts. To see what credentials have been verified by a third-party service, please click on the "Verified" symbol in some Experts' profiles. JustAnswer is not intended or designed for EMERGENCY questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals.